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December 1863: Holiday Open House at Cravens House

Fort Oglethorpe, GA: On Friday, November 30, and Saturday, December 1, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will present a Christmas Open House at the Cravens House, located on Lookout Mountain. The house will be decorated in a manner very similar to the Civil War era. This special holiday event will take place from 6 pm to 8 pm, with tours beginning every 30 minutes. Reservations are required. To make a reservation, and for more information about this event, please contact the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center at 423-821-7786.

The holidays in 1863 were unlike anything Chattanoogans expected the previous year. Just one month before Christmas Day, Union forces successfully drove Confederates off Missionary Ridge, and for the first time in three years, Chattanoogans celebrated Christmas under the stars and stripes. However, there was little time to celebrate. Debris of war still littered the city, and on Christmas Day 1863, General George Thomas ordered the establishment of the Chattanooga National Cemetery. Join us for this special program at the Cravens House as we explore how the residents and soldiers of Chattanooga marked the holiday season 155 years ago.

For more information about upcoming programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, please contact the Lookout Mountain Visitor Center at 423-821-7786, the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-866-9241, or visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/chch.